This week’s Plant of the Week is a late blooming beauty – Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ‘Professor Kippenberg’. More commonly known as Blue Fall Aster, New York Aster or Michaelmas Daisy. Professor Kippenberg is a medium sized, compact perennial with a neat dome-shaped growth habit. Clear blue daisy like flowers with a yellow center cover the plant in the autumn.

It is tolerant of heat and drought and requires very little care. Whilst dead-heading will increase the bloom time, it is not necessary. The profusion of flowers attracts plenty of bees!

This plant was previously considered to be an Aster, but like many others, it has recently been reclassified following advances in molecular research.